The present invention is generally directed to a medical assist device for assisting in the transfer of an infirmed patient from a bed to a chair or chair to a wheelchair or back to a bed or from a wheelchair to a toilet or bathtub. A number of patient or invalid transfer apparati have been disclosed in the prior art, including those disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,757,388; 2,975,435; 3,911,507; 5,054,137 and 5,079,789, the disclosures of which are incorporated herewith by reference. Typically, the prior art devices utilized a rotatable platform upon which the patient could stand and a support handle which the patient could grip. It is believed that the prior art devices have not found widespread acceptance for one reason or another.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new, easily usable apparatus for rotationally transferring a patient from one support such as a bed, chair or wheelchair to another of such supports.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a motor driven apparatus for transferring a patient which, for the very infirmed, cannot be activated by the patient but only by an attendant, preferably through use of a controller which is remote from the patient support platform. For patients who are less infirmed, the medical assist device could be equipped with controls which the patient could operate while standing thereon.
It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus with (1) a rotatable platform for rotatably shifting a patient positioned thereon, (2) a seat adjacent said rotatable platform and (3) wheels for moving a patient distances further than permitted by rotation of the platform.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a review of the detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings.